Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, West Medical Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2012 Feb;119(2):261-74. doi: 10.1007/s00702-011-0676-8. Epub 2011 Jun 22.
Several components of the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism are now recognised to have actions of profound biological importance. These include the ability to modulate the activation of glutamate and nicotinic receptors, to modify the responsiveness of the immune system to inflammation and infection, and to modify the generation and removal of reactive oxygen species. As each of these factors is being recognised increasingly as contributing to major disorders of the central nervous system (CNS), so the potentially fundamental role of the kynurenine pathway in those disorders is presenting a valuable target both for understanding the progress of those disorders and for developing potential drug treatments. This review will summarise some of the evidence for an important contribution of the kynurenines to Huntington's disease and to stroke damage in the CNS. Together with preliminary evidence from a study of kynurenine metabolites after major surgery, an important conclusion is that kynurenine pathway activation closely reflects cognitive function, and may play a significant role in cognitive ability.
色氨酸代谢的犬尿氨酸途径的几个组成部分现在被认为具有深远的生物学重要性。这些作用包括调节谷氨酸和烟碱型乙酰胆碱受体的激活，改变免疫系统对炎症和感染的反应性，以及改变活性氧的产生和清除。由于这些因素中的每一个都被越来越多地认为是导致中枢神经系统（CNS）主要疾病的原因，因此犬尿氨酸途径在这些疾病中的潜在根本作用为理解这些疾病的进展和开发潜在的药物治疗提供了一个有价值的靶点。这篇综述将总结一些关于犬尿氨酸对亨廷顿病和中枢神经系统中风损伤的重要贡献的证据。与一项重大手术后犬尿氨酸代谢物研究的初步证据一起，一个重要的结论是犬尿氨酸途径的激活与认知功能密切相关，并可能在认知能力方面发挥重要作用。
